The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1887-05-26
CHAPTER VL-CoNTISUED.


send to divert his thoughts. The viru-
lent cases in the town increased rapid
ly. For the first time the destroying
angel of pestilence had invaded this
peaceful valley. The little hospital
soon overlooked. There was urgent
need of nurses. Solitary cases of self
sacrifice, displayed by contrast the
egotism of human nature in its
appalling nakedness. The general
motto was "Let. him save HIM
self who canr' Abroad, the doc
tors energies were taxed to the
utmost, his heart wrung by the spec
tacle of human misery; at home he met
only anxious faces Marianne made no
concealment of her terror; Desiree
fitted around pale and silent but with
look of strange fOreboding in her
eyes Ivan in his bewildermcnt broke
almost every dish he touched, and
turned things upside down. His grand
preventative against disease was a
draught of whisky. Kathe, the cook,
believed every half hour that she had
an attack of the murderous fever, and
ran bowling to her mistress. She
wanted the doctor constantly on hand,
and did not see why he could not pass
his whole time in the vicinity of her
kitchen. Why should he run after
strangers and leave his own household
Ill the lurch? Arnim, at the incessant
entreaty of his cousin, had prescribed
drops as preventive. She scarce al
lowed the vial out of her hand. Sacri-
fetal clouds of smoke arose from every
room in the house but the doctors
study. Here, at his express command,
the wild waves of Marianne's fumiga-
ton fever were stayed.
eff it allays your fears, do what you
WILL" he said, ''only let my study
alone"
1t was remarkable how people of all
conditions seeking help besieged the
house of the Russian DOCTOR The rep
utation of his skill, his goodness and
unselfshness spread ike wildfire. His
dOor-bell rang constantly day and
night. He was kept so busy that he
had scarce time to think of Hilmar's
absence. When he did recall it it was
with a sense of relief at his distance
from Desiree.
On the morning of the fourth day
since his guests departure he pro-
posed sending a messenger for tidings.
@'Our artist is no doubt filling his
sketch-book in some picturesque re-
gion," he added, land will complain
about my running after him as if he
were a child. But want to get him
here and then send him off to Vevay"
AS he thus spoke he glanced at
Desiree, who had risen noiselesSly and |
was attending to the flowers on the
window-ledge. She did not turn as
Arnim left the room with an Auf |
WiederSehen! Her reply was scarcely |
audible. The little head remained |
bowed over the flowers, the hands |
plucked nervOusly at the leaves. |
Arnim set his teeth. A wild Impotence
surged through his breast. He would |
fain have pressed this tender form to |
his tortured heart with the despairing |
cry:
Have 1 then lost your confidence?
Do you love this stranger better than
me? Will you leave the house that
once harbored your mother to go with |
him?"
But he saw that Marianne's eyes
rested upon him with a questioning
glance, and controlling his emotion, he
went silently.
At noon a messenger appeared say
ing that the doctor would not return
until evening. Ussikow was found
He lay i'll in the village of Grunfeld.
Ivan must 90 to him tomorrow with |
stores of linen and other necessaries
and remain until his removal was pos
sible.
Dcsiree received this intelligence
with white face and throbbing heart
a few minutes later she stood before |
Marianne, who exclaimed:
Good heavens, how you look,
What is the matter with you? Take
the drops at once! God forbid that |
you should bring the typhus into our
housed"
The girl turned impatiently away.
Nothing is the matter with me-" she
said, but he is stricken with the fever
in a neighboring village, and is with
out care. Ivan goes to him to-mor-
row. Not until tomorrow! o, my
God, how long it will be before morn
ingr'
''Who, child Arnim?"
mo, no! Hilmar USsikow, l i'm
plcfe you go to him at once"
''What do you say, foolish girl? 1
go to this stranger! 1 would really
like to know why ~
ITO nurse him, to save him! Uncle
Arnim says that in this sickness, nurs-
ing does every thing. And just think
of it-he lies in a low musty peasant
chamber, among strange, rough peo-
pie, uncared for and alone! Perhaps
there is no one to even hand him
drink in his thirst and agony. You
must go to him. Every moments de-
lay brings him nearer death"
al must go! Are you mad, Desiree,
and why /, out of all the world?'
Because he loves your cried the
girl, desparingly. Because he wishes
to make you his wife"
For moment Marianne seem petri-
fled. Then she shrugged her shoulders
4